Removable identification band for cartons and blank for producing the same



Aug. 15, 1967 REMOVABLE IDENTIF ICA TION BAND FOR CARTONS AND R G KRAMER 3,335,937

BLANK FOR PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Sept 15, 1964 INVENTOR ROBERT 6. -KRAME/P 149 R L 1), :FLOCJCS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,335,937 REMOVABLE IDENTIFICATION BAND FOR CAR- TONS AND BLANK FOR PRODUCING THE SAME Robert G. Kramer, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Diamond International Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 396,576 8 Claims. (Cl. 22938) This invention relates to improvements in cartons provided with a removable label or simulated band.

Cartons having a simulated band, i.e. identifying band have been proposed in the past (see for example US. Letters Patents to Bolding #2,950,040 and Cornell et al. #3,026,014). As by the above-mentioned patents, bands of the character involved generally incorporate advertising material, identification marks, trademarks, etc. Often, particularly during holiday seasons, the purchaser subsequently desires to purchase a product and prior to presentation of the gift, the giver often desires to remove the manufacturers identification label, etc. In the case of liquor, wine and the like, the manufacturers often prepare exceptionally attractive cartons having considerable ornamentation, etc. thereon so that these cartons do not require any additional wrapping, i.e. they are gift wrapped upon removal of the band or label.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide improved cartons which incorporate bands facilitating the applictaion of identification indicia and which maybe subsequently removed in a ready and expeditious manner without effecting the neat and attractive appearance of the carton in which the product is packaged.

Additional primary objects of the present invention are as follows:

To provide a carton with a removable and preferably or generally transparent label overlying the ornamental wrapper and/or indicia on the carton, and which band can be readily removed without disfiguring the outer surface of the carton;

To provide a carton and blank which incorporates an identification label circumposed about the outer walls of the carton and which includes terminal ends of the identification label connected to a glue flap used in assembly of the carton and a tear tab upon which the label is terminally secured and which tear tab facilitates removal of the label.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the specification when taken in conjunction with the drawings forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for producing a carton in which the identification label or band will be circumposed about the outer surface of the assembled and erected carton, portions being shown partially in perspective for the purpose of illustrating construction details;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the inner surface of the tear tab, i.e. the surface opposite that shown in FIG. 1 at the extreme right of the blank;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an assembled and erected carton produced from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary intermediate perspective view of the carton of FIG. 3 and illustrating the manner in which removal of the tear tab and end of the identification band secured thereto is initiated; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the same portion of the carton as FIG. 4, illustrating final removal of the tear tab and identification band of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a one-piece blank is indicated generally at 210 and includes a planar blank element 212 produced from any suitable material such as paperboard, for example. The blank element 112 includes rectangular walls 214, 216, 218 and 220 and adjacent walls are connected to each other by means of mutually parallel fold or score lines 222, 224 and 226. The wall 220 includes along its side edge, formed by means of a marginal side edge fold line 228, a glue flap 230. The upper and lower margins of the walls 214220 are indicated generally at 236 and 238 and have hingedly connected thereto upper and lower closure flap assemblies indicated generally at 270 and 270'. The wall 214 includes a free marginal side edge 234 which is interrupted by a suitable perforated score or tear line 235 hingedly connecting to the side edge of the wall 214 a tear tab indicated generally at 237. The tear tab 237 may assume any suitable shape, however, it includes intermediately thereof and extending transversely therealong a vertical score or fold line 239 which forms therein an inner elongated segment 241 and an outer segment 243. The inner segment (see FIG. 2) preferably includes a plurality of adhesive spots or portions 245; the function of which will subsequently be described in detail. Secured in overlying and unattached relationship with respect to the walls 214-220 is an identification band or label 262 which has one terminal end portion 264 suitably secured to the outer surface of the glue flap 230. The other end 265 of the label or identification band incorporates a suitable adhesive thereon and is secured to the outer surface of the outer segment 243.

The blank 212 is assembled by applying a suitable adhesive to the glue flap 230 and securing this glue flap to the inner surface of the wall 214 in parallel adjacent relationship to the free edge 234 of the carton. When this is done, the terminal end 264 of the label will be disposed beneath the wall 214 and the outer surface 230 of the glue flap which is secured to said wall. The spots of adhesive 245 will adhere to the outer surface of the wall 220 (but permit manual removal), and the portions of the label 262 which they overlie as clearly seen in FIG. 3. However, the segment 243 will not adhere to the label 262 (see FIG. 4) and thus one may readily grasp this portion 243 between their thumb and forefinger and pull up on the tear tab inasmuch as the fold line 239 permits this function, whereafter the tear tab may be readily detached with the terminal end of the band from the carton, it being noted that the perforated or tear line 235 permits the removal of the tear tab. Thereafter, the label 262 is readily removed from the outer surface of the erected carton, and the label maybe readily severed at tear portion 272 as evident in FIG. 5 of the drawings. The label 262 may incorporate therein a series of transverse weakening or perforation lines to facilitate tearing of the label 262 transversely at 272.

It will be noted that the tear tab 237 includes a lower angular margin 241. The angular cut or margin 241 serves as a guide to reduce the possibility of the tab hanging up on a partition of a packing case or on an adjacent carton when the cartons have been filled and are being inserted into a packing case.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a carton produced from a one-piece integral cutand scored blank comprising a tubular body including closure assemblies at opposite ends thereof, the improvement comprising an elongated removal identification band, means detachably connecting said band in overlying relationship on an outer surface portion of said tubular body, said means comprising terminal portions of said band and cooperating portions of said carton to which the terminal ends of said band are connected, said tubular body comprising foldable flat walls positionable to form a rectangular cross section in said tubular body, one of said walls including a side edge margin, glue flap means hingedly connected to said side edge margin and connected to an adjacent one of said walls for forming said tubular body, said adjacent one of said walls including a side edge margin, a tear tab portion detachably connected only at the side edge margin of said adjacent one of said walls, said band being terminally connected to said glue flap means and secured between said adjacent one of said walls and said glue flap, the other end of said band being secured in overlying relationship to said tear tab for removal therewith, said band being circumposed about said tubular body and severable at said glue flap.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said tear tab portion includes a lower margin extending angularly from a lower terminal end portion of said tear tab portion to said side edge margin.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said tear tab is hingedly connected to the marginal edge of said adjacent wall on a portion forming a tear line for facilitating the tearing and removal of said tear tab and the band terminally secured thereto.

4. The structure as claimed in claim 3 in which said tear tab includes an intermediate transverse fold line portion for facilitating movement thereof away from the outer surface of said tubular body to facilitate initial tearing of said tear tab.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 4 in which said tear tab includes a portion disposed between the free edge of said adjacent one of said walls and said fold line portion and adhered to the outer surface of said tubular body for retaining said tear tab in substantially parallel juxtaposed relation to the outer surface of said tubular body.

6. A one-piece blank for producing a foldable flat carton comprising a planar blank element, said :blank element including four rectangular walls connected on mutually parallel fold lines, glue flap means extending along the side edge of one of said walls, said walls including upper and lower marginal fold lines, closure flap assemblies connected to a marginal fold line of at least three of said walls, and a band overlying at least one of said walls and terminally connected at opposite ends of said blank, said blank including a side edge margin having a manually-removable tear tab hingedly connected only at said side edge margin, said label being terminally secured to said tear taband said glue flap and overlying said four Walls of said blank.

7. The structure as claimed in claim 6 in which said tear tab includes a transverse fold line parallel to said side edge margin to which said tear tab is hingedly connected, the terminal end of said label being connected to said tear tab outwardly of said transverse fold line, the portion of said tear tab between said side margin to which said tear tab is connected and fold line comprising an adhesive-receiving portion for adhering to the outer surface of an adjacent wall when said blank is assembled.

8. The structure as claimed in claim 6 in which said tear tab includes a lower angular marginal edge extending from said side edge margin to a terminal end portion thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,079,328 5/1937 McBean 229-51 2,192,423 3/ 1940 Ward et al -2 2,281,707 5/1942 Mott.

2,285,212 6/1942 La May 40-312 2,772,044 11/1956 Layne 22951 2,950,040 8/1960 Bolding 22938 3,026,014 3/1962 Cornell et al 22938 3,183,614 5/1965 Loderhose 40-312 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner,

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner 

1. IN A CARTON PRODUCED FROM A ONE-PIECE INTEGRAL CUTAND-SCORED BLANK COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY INCLUDING CLOSURE ASSEMBLIES AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED REMOVAL IDENTIFICATION BAND, MEANS DETACHABLY CONNECTING SAID BAND IN OVERLYING RELATIONSHIP ON AN OUTER SURFACE PORTION OF SAID TUBULAR BODY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING TERMINAL PORTIONS OF SAID BAND AND COOPERATING PORTIONS OF SAID CARTON TO WHICH THE TERMINAL ENDS OF SAID BAND ARE CONNECTED, SAID TUBULAR BODY COMPRISING FOLDABLE FLAT WALLS POSITIONABLE TO FORM A RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION IN SAID TUBULAR BODY, ONE OF SAID WALLS INCLUDING A SIDE EDGE MARGIN, GLUE FLAP MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID SIDE EDGE MARGIN AND CONNECTED TO AN ADJACENT ONE OF SAID WALLS FOR FORMING SAID TUBULAR BODY, SAID ADJACENT ONE OF SAID WALLS INCLUDING A SIDE EDGE MARGIN, A TEAR TAB PORTION DETACHABLY CONNECTED ONLY AT THE SIDE EDGE MARGIN OF SAID ADJACENT ONE OF SAID WALLS, SAID BAND BEING TERMINALLY CONNECTED TO SAID GLUE FLAP MEANS AND SECURED BETWEEN SAID ADJACENT ONE OF SAID WALLS AND SAID GLUE FLAP, THE OTHER END OF SAID BAND BEING SECURED IN OVERLYING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID TEAR TAB FOR REMOVAL THEREWITH, SAID BAND BEING CIRCUMPOSED ABOUT SAID TUBULAR BODY AND SEVERABLE AT SAID GLUE FLAP. 